Vegan

FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT VEGAN - PAGE 4

A bargain is always a thrill. It's why I am willing to poke through bins of ratty-looking stuff at a thrift store or paw the racks at the Salvation Army looking for hidden treasure. It's still rousing to gaze at the $6.99 Manolo Blahniks that I found at a Goodwill years ago. And my heart rate goes up when I hear a friend boast that he found a classic Chanel quilted bag for his wife for $20 at one of his favorite secondhand places. So when shoppers tell me that thrift store shopping is eco-conscious - buying used instead of new - well, all the better.

To the non-meat eater, "comforting" and "familiar" aren't often used in the same sentence with "diner food. " Most vegetarians I know aren't satisfied with most diners' singular menu option of mushy cherry tomatoes on a bed of wilted iceberg lettuce (hold the bacon bits, please). But The Chicago Diner is all about comfort and familiarity, for the carnivorous and vegetarian alike. Chicago Diner's husband and wife co-founders Marshall "Mickey" Hornick and Jo Kaucher opened the first location at 3411 N. Halsted St. in 1983.

Vegans (pronounced "VEE-guns") are the strictest type of vegetarians. They avoid all animal products--even American staples such as milk, eggs and cheese. "For the true vegan, it can even go beyond clothes," said Dr. Tim Highley, a 16-year vegan and osteopath in Lexington, Ky., who avoids wearing leather clothing. "You can go so deep into it that you drive yourself crazy." Highley refers to himself as a "honey vegan." That means he occasionally eats honey, so he's not the strictest of vegans.

An Orland Park restaurant that focuses on fresh, health-conscious food and offers vegan and gluten-free items was the brainchild of a mother of six who has named some of the menu offerings after her family and friends. "It was something I felt was just good to have out there, healthier choices, while keeping quality," said Cyndi Dezutter, who co-owns Blissful Banana Café, 15447 S. 94th Ave. in Orland Park, with her husband Dennis Dezutter. With some of her children grown and the youngest in junior high, Dezutter said she wanted something to do and opening a restaurant in Orland Park melded her enjoyment of cooking with working at a location close to home.

Jill Ovnik, 39, founder of VeganGal.com, was a self-described fat girl until she became a vegetarian and then a vegan seven years ago. What kick-started the change? "I had tried so many things. Then this friend visited--she was a lot older than me and she was really thin and energetic. I was really annoyed," said the Hinsdale mother of three. "I was feeling really old and fat." Last weekend, Ovnik, a trim brunette, celebrated the launch of "Change Your Food, Change Your Life," her DVD guide to eating a vegan diet that explains the perils of eating meat, advises how to order out at restaurants and offers vegan recipes.

DEFINING VEGAN: A vegan diet contains no meat, eggs, dairy or other animal products. Here's where vegan children and adults get some of the nutrients they need: vitamin B-12 from fortified cereals, soy milk, and/or a supplement. Protein from grains, legumes, seeds, nuts and many vegetables. PLANTS DELIVER: If a child eats a reasonable variety of plant foods daily and gets enough calories to meet his energy needs, he's virtually assured of getting enough protein. And vegans say it's not necessary, as once thought, to combine complementary plant proteins in a single meal.

While I agree with the general content of "Another day, another diet" (Editorial, July 28), I think your writing was non-committal and as confusing for the public as you say other information out there is. First and most importantly, a vegetarian, or better yet a vegan, diet will not only provide us with a longer life but a healthier one. For most people, a long life might not seem so important, particularly if you have health problems....

With its vegan pancakes and chickenless nuggets, Northwestern University was named the most vegetarian-friendly university in the country Wednesday. It beat out 30 other U.S. nominees -- including the hip University of California, Berkeley -- by serving meatless options such as a tasty tofu francaise and fajita strips made from seitan, a wheat gluten. Students insist it looks just like chicken. About 10,000 votes were cast in the online contest, sponsored by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

With its vegan pancakes and chickenless nuggets, Northwestern University was named the most vegetarian-friendly university in the country Wednesday. It beat out 30 other U.S. nominees -- including the hip University of California, Berkeley -- by serving meatless options such as a tasty tofu francaise and fajita strips made from seitan, a wheat gluten. Students insist it looks just like chicken. About 10,000 votes were cast in the online contest, sponsored by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.